Natori Feather Strapless Bra
Yes, here I am: talking about unmentionables again. Ahem. I know I am not alone in loathing strapless bras, but sometimes they’re awfully useful. Scratch that; I pretty much uniformly hate all bras, and sometimes the strapless kind offer a bit of extra convenience when dealing with an unusual neckline. Natori bras are the least annoying, so I have been wearing them exclusively for the past 18 months. When I recently decided that it was time to reinvest in a new strapless bra, I naturally looked there first. As our Nordstrom Rack still hasn’t opened yet (side-eye, since it’s been advertised as “coming soon” since 2016), I did my looking on Amazon. And I lucked into finding my size in a neutral beige colour for under $60 (it’s this Natori Feathers Strapless bra). Not a bad deal.
When I say “my size”, I actually mean one band size down and one cup size up from my preferred size. I can wear 36B or 34C largely interchangeably, though I prefer the former in regular bras because I find it digs into my ribcage less. However, I chose the 34C in the strapless version because I wanted to be sure that it would stay up. I think that was the right choice. I haven’t worn it out in the “wild” yet, but it felt good while I was trying it on.
[Edited to add: our Nordstrom Rack just opened about a week ago. I haven’t decided how much I like it, but I did spot some Natori bras, so that’s a bonus.]
Triple Claw Ear Jacket
The credit for finding this gem goes to IG-er (and new blogger) M Gets Dressed. I admired this earring jacket on her Instagram page, and promptly ordered my own. Note: this does not come as a set, so if you want one for each ear, you will have to buy two. I purchased one to begin with, just to see what the quality was like in person. I was not disappointed; the jacket is made from stainless steel, not silver, but it looks more expensive that it is. I was also concerned about potential allergic reactions, but did not have any. [Note: I do not have known metal allergies, but my ears can become sensitive to costume jewelry at times.] I am debating getting a second one now, because I’m kinda old skool about wearing matching earrings.
Unrelated sidenote: if you’re into capsules and wardrobe analytics, you really should check out M’s blog. She goes into a lot of detail, and her posts are incredibly thoughtful and well-written.
Leggs Nylons
I used to be quite loyal to the Calvin Klein CK brand of nylons, which I could find at Winners for about $8 a pair. I stopped wearing nylons this summer, but even before, the CKs were getting increasingly hard to find. With winter on its way, I had to come up with an alternative. I’d had good luck with the L’eggs nylon socks (10 pack for $7CAD) I bought last year on Amazon, which I always wear with trousers. (I find that nylons socks/knee highs are less slippery/fidgety than those little shoe sock thingies, and help to cut down on foot odour.) So I decided to give their regular pantyhose (ugh, that word) a try as well. I got the L’eggs Women’s Energy 3 Pack Control Top Sheer Toe Panty Hose in “Nude”, which is a pretty good match for my pasty skin tone. The 3 pack cost about $17CAD, which is a great deal. So far, so good. They’re sheer but seem quite sturdy, and the control top doesn’t feel like it wants to strangle my inner organs. I’m pretty sure I ordered the Q size (second largest), but somehow ended up with the Q+ (the largest). Other than being a little bit long — not so much that they sag, at all — it’s fine. For reference, I am usually a size 4-6, and 5’7 (though I have a borderline petite-size inseam). Most of the reviews suggest sizing up, and I concur. I will probably go with the Q next time, but I’m happy with the Q+ too.
Paint by Sticker Books
I like to look on Amazon for book and craft ideas for my kids, which is how I came across the new version of the colouring book craze: paint by sticker books. They work precisely as you might imagine: instead of colouring the areas per numbered directions, you apply the appropriate numbered sticker. I got a bug version for my kids, and also tried an adult version with vintage travel posters. The sticker books weren’t a huge hit with my kids, but I have to say that I quite liked mine. To be honest, part of the reason why I got it was because I wanted to see if I could hack the templates for my embroidery. I haven’t tried it yet, but I think it’s doable.